The train
Between the shops.
MiNe — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0 · xiquinhosilva — CC BY 2.0
A small village in a green valley on the narrow Pingxi railway, built in the 1920s to carry coal from the area's mines. Its quirk is that the track runs right down the middle of the street, between two rows of shops and old houses just steps away. When a train approaches it sounds its horn, people step to either side of the track, and it rolls slowly between them and the stalls, a scene photographers love. The rest of the time visitors walk along the rails themselves between the shops. Shifen is known for releasing paper sky lanterns, on which people brush their wishes before letting them float up, peaking at the Lantern Festival after the Lunar New Year. The street is full of lantern shops and food and drink stalls. The street is free; trains come from Ruifang station, and it pairs with nearby Shifen Waterfall. Take care on the track when you hear the horn. Taiwan's typhoon season runs from June to October, peaking July to September, so check forecasts before heading to mountains and coasts, per UK travel advice.
Between the shops.
Written wishes.
All around.
Shifen village, on the Pingxi railway line
By Pingxi line train from Ruifang station in about half an hour, or by bus from Taipei.
